{"id":2772,"date":"2017-10-19T12:24:01","date_gmt":"2017-10-19T12:24:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/avitech.com.au\/?page_id=2772"},"modified":"2017-10-19T12:56:55","modified_gmt":"2017-10-19T12:56:55","slug":"dec-wt78","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/avitech.com.au\/?page_id=2772","title":{"rendered":"DEC WT78"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This is a DEC “WT78” which I think is similar or identical to a DEC VT78. The naming is confusing, because the manuals call this unit a “DECstation”.<\/p>\n

I haven’t yet opened this up to investigate it, but it came with a Word Processing Training Manual and a Word Processing User Manual.<\/p>\n

Sitting on top of the unit was a “BC80D-5K” cable, to connect the WT78 to the RX02 floppy disk drive.<\/p>\n

I tried to power this on for the first time on 19-OCT-2017. The drives spin, but no signs of life from the WT78. After removing power, I discovered that the 3A mains inlet fuse was blown. Unfortunately I didn’t check the fuse before applying power, so I don’t know if the fuse was already blown.<\/p>\n

Is the VT78 the same as a WT78?<\/h4>\n

Here’s a quote from the VCFED DEC forum<\/a>:<\/p>\n

Q: “Do you know what were the differences between the VT78 and the WT78? Was it just software differences, i.e., the exlcusion of compilers, etc., and inclusion of the word processing software?”<\/p>\n

A: “The VT\/78 was an early micro (6100 based) PDP-8 that came with floppies and ran the standard OS\/8 software, including PAL\/8, Fortran, etc.<\/p>\n

The WT\/78 is the same hardware, except for some labeling. I believe it was shipped with a version of WPS, the menu based “office software” operating system.<\/p>\n

Later 6120 based Decmates have the brain-dead terminal interface, and various attempted software kludges that CJL is so offended by.<\/p>\n

So, yes, I think your characterization is correct. I wish I knew of an authoritative place to confirm what software shipped with the WT\/78, but everything I have seen so far supports the theory that it came with office (rather than scientific) software.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Photo Gallery<\/h4>\n